NATS PLUS membership program

[lylelgreen]

The NATS PLUS membership program is exclusive to Full Season (FS) and Half Season (HS) Plans. 
Partial Season (PS) Plan Holders will continue to receive benefits, but not at same level as NATS PLUS members.  PS Plan Holders will have opportunity to upgrade their plan at a discount.

Limits on ticket exchanges:
FS - 20 ticket exchanges
HS - 15 ticket exchanges
PS - 5 ticket exchanges

Discounts
FS - 20% discount at team store, eCash back, additional tickets
HS - 15% discount at team store, eCash back, additional tickets
PS - 5% discount at team store, eCash back, additional tickets

Postseason
FS - seat guarantee
HS - game guarantee
PS - Presale

FS and HS - Dedicated service rep
PS - Ticket specialist hotline

[PowerBoater69]

Where did you get that? I read that emails have gone out but I haven't received on yet. The page on the Nats makes this enticing offer for anyone making a $200 deposit:

Once you have completed your transaction a Nationals Sales Account Executive will contact you within 24-48 hours to discuss specific details and the completion of your order. Tickets will be issued once final payment is received. Your deposit does not guarantee game date or selected seating category.

http://washington.nationals.mlb.com/was/ticketing/natsplus.jsp?affiliateId=T17111HTB41-5N7

[lylelgreen]

A letter was sent out to Partial Season Plan Holders.

[Mathguy]

So what did this letter say ?

A letter was sent out to Partial Season Plan Holders.

[PowerBoater69]

Must be rolling it out since I haven't received it (I checked my Spam folder).  I'm trying to remember if my three year commitment is up yet, were the price locks offered in 2011 or 2012?

[lylelgreen]

Here's a scan of the letter:

https://mobile.twitter.com/lylelgreen/status/494311303646035968/photos

https://mobile.twitter.com/lylelgreen/status/494310618615525376/photo/1

[RobDibblesGhost]

So it was a real letter, not an email? I haven't received anything yet either.

[rbw5t]

So it was a real letter, not an email? I haven't received anything yet either.

I got the same letter.  They're trying to push getting partial plan holders to upgrade to a full season plan.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Limits on ticket exchanges!  damn, that is going to hurt my ability to keep folks in my groups.  I really am going to need to rethink my package.  A half season and partial season is a lot of money we are paying.  Looks like I'm as well off with the 2 plans on tix exchanges as someone with one full season plan (15 + 5 = 20), but I'm going to guess that will change.  Probably should be 5, 12 and 25 to provide incentive for the longer plans, but maybe it has to do with the number of each type of plan they have sold and what they can accommodate.

[KnorrForYourMoney]

Why would they limit ticket exchanges?  Do they not want more people attending games, spending money on merchandise and concessions?

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Why would they limit ticket exchanges?  Do they not want more people attending games, spending money on merchandise and concessions?

I'm guessing the system they use, which seems to have a lot of human involvement, is costly.  I don't know why the exchange system is not automated more.  RCRs could be quicker and let you approve what you are getting, but at least it is done without much human involvement between the request and the order getting filled (I did one overnight).  If the exchange system worked the same way, then it would free up labor.

[NationalHeat]

I'm a partial plan holder. Are there any real, tangible benefits for upgrading to half through Nats Plus? Or did they just reduce our benefits as PS holders to try and nudge us up a level?

[wj73]

I'm a partial plan holder. Are there any real, tangible benefits for upgrading to half through Nats Plus? Or did they just reduce our benefits as PS holders to try and nudge us up a level?

That's pretty much what I got out of it. 

I wish they'd consider give some special benefits to long-term season ticket holders, not just those who have the bigger plans or more expensive seats.  Some of us can't afford the time or money to upgrade to more games or better seats, but we've shown our loyalty over the years with our little 20 game plans.  Maybe STH could earn some of these special benefits just for keeping your ST for 5 years in a row, even if you only have a 20 game plan.  Each year you keep the tix after that would earn more bennies.  The thought of earning extra bennies each year might be enough to keep someone who is undecided about whether to re-up for the next season, and would reward those who have made a long-term financial commitment to the team.   

And I think those of us who have been continuous STH since Day 1 should get some special recognition as we hung in there during all the lean years. 

[NationalHeat]

If I could've gotten to play catch an/or take BP, I would upgrade for sure

Still haven't gotten that letter. Still may do it.

[NationalHeat]

Anyone know what they mean by being able to upgrade at a discounted price? Will they charge you less for your seat?

[geneticlyperfct]

For any half season plans out there, I just got word from my ticket rep that they're going to be offering 2 half packages this year. Thus the playoff Game guarantee and not seat guarantee. From what I've heard the last 2 years I've tried to upgrade to a full, I've got 2 partials in my half season so I should be able to get my seats for the postseason even if I can't upgrade this year.

[PowerBoater69]

I'd probably cancel my plan, but with the AL East coming to town this year I'll hold on for the presale opportunity in order to get tix for resale.  I might even bump up to 41 games to get the extra benefits, it's a pretty good bump in incentives to go from 20 to 41, not as much going from 41 to 81. 

Condescending tone from the quotes from Valerie in the Bog confirm my original take that she's the new Fluffer.

I'd sure like to see the schedule before re-upping though, if the Nats are opening in Boston does that mean that the Yanks are coming instead?  It's possible that we'll get Toronto and Tampa.

[CALSGR8]

That's pretty much what I got out of it. 

I wish they'd consider give some special benefits to long-term season ticket holders, not just those who have the bigger plans or more expensive seats.  Some of us can't afford the time or money to upgrade to more games or better seats, but we've shown our loyalty over the years with our little 20 game plans.  Maybe STH could earn some of these special benefits just for keeping your ST for 5 years in a row, even if you only have a 20 game plan.  Each year you keep the tix after that would earn more bennies.  The thought of earning extra bennies each year might be enough to keep someone who is undecided about whether to re-up for the next season, and would reward those who have made a long-term financial commitment to the team.   

And I think those of us who have been continuous STH since Day 1 should get some special recognition as we hung in there during all the lean years. 

I agree with this.  So is this replacing the ACCESS AND RCR program?

[Galah]

Must be rolling it out since I haven't received it (I checked my Spam folder).  I'm trying to remember if my three year commitment is up yet, were the price locks offered in 2011 or 2012?

It was 2012, next year is the last year of the price lock, which might explain the timing of this program (that and having a 1st place team)

[CALSGR8]

It was a snail mail letter

[Natsinpwc]

I'd probably cancel my plan, but with the AL East coming to town this year I'll hold on for the presale opportunity in order to get tix for resale.  I might even bump up to 41 games to get the extra benefits, it's a pretty good bump in incentives to go from 20 to 41, not as much going from 41 to 81. 

Condescending tone from the quotes from Valerie in the Bog confirm my original take that she's the new Fluffer.

I'd sure like to see the schedule before re-upping though, if the Nats are opening in Boston does that mean that the Yanks are coming instead?  It's possible that we'll get Toronto and Tampa.

I was going to drop out of our club level group for 2015 given the prices and lack of resale value and especially for early season games.  However, will hang in there at least one more year for AL East in 2015 and potential presales. 

[Baseball is Life]

The Sports bog link is at http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/dc-sports-bog/wp/2014/07/30/nats-introduce-nats-plus-program-for-half-and-full-season-ticket-holders/

I like the concept....the more you spend, the more benefits you get. Very basic, but that's not really the way it has been with Nats in the past. I would bump it even more and segregate by seats/amount spent. Someone who gets a full season plan at the Diamond Club level, for example, should get more benefits than someone who gets a full season plan at the 400 level.

A big concern for me is the limits on ticket exchanges...I don't know how many exchanges my partners used (I have two full season plans) but I suspect 20 exchanges for a full game plan might be constraining.

Also, I hope this doesn't mean the end of the RCR program. That's always been one of my favorite benefits.

[Baseball is Life]

I agree with this.  So is this replacing the ACCESS AND RCR program?

I don't think it's the end of the Access program because it refers to "Online Account Access" as a benefit.

No sure about the RCR program, though.

Lots of details and benefits remain to be be spelled out, I'm sure.

[Galah]

I like the concept....the more you spend, the more benefits you get. Very basic, but that's not really the way it has been with Nats in the past. I would bump it even more and segregate by seats/amount spent. Someone who gets a full season plan at the Diamond Club level, for example, should get more benefits than someone who gets a full season plan at the 400 level.

A big concern for me is the limits on ticket exchanges...I don't know how many exchanges my partners used (I have two full season plans) but I suspect 20 exchanges for a full game plan might be constraining.

Also, I hope this doesn't mean the end of the RCR program. That's always been on my favorite benefits.

They already do, at least for the Lexus and Diamond clubs http://mlb.mlb.com/was/ticketing/season_plans.jsp?loc=premium
but I get your point.

20 exchanges for a full season is 1/4 of all your tickets 15 exchanges for a partial season is 1/3 of all your tickets.  I don't use the exchange much but then, I also don't have partners.

I suspect RCR will stick around but they'll continue to tweek it.  I like earning points for going to games but I wish their accounting was more transparent, I have no way of telling if I'm getting all the credits I have earned.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

This is going to force me to restructure our SPH group.  We can't go to full season in section 208 due to the cost, and the 20 game package in 113 is devalued.  Over the past few years, they've dropped the unused ticket exchange, made it difficult and limited to exchagne for future games, devalued and maybe eliminated the RCR program, and set up a discount / ecash program that is difficult to share with members if you do not all buy proportionately. 

Woop de doo that they are going to make autographs available and let you go on the field.

I'm either going to have to lose weekend games that are on the Abe plan and have ticket partners cut back or out, drop down out of the Norfolk Southern Club so I can go full season, or let the Nats pair me up with some other purchaser so that together we get full season in 208 (and fight over playoff allocations and games).